Sickening how much he's deteriorated in even the last 20 years, was looking ridic bad during the worlds when they showed the 'Legends' comp they were running.
Com story from when he did an exhibition at my dad's club in 1993. He doesn't drive and obv on past reputation dad didn't want him travelling by train as he was likely to get drunk, in a row or both.
We drove up to Cirencester from Dorchester to get him on a Saturday morning just before xmas. Get there and he's in of all places a bar, he instructs my father to leave me with him whilst dad fetches his stuff from his room. I'm like a window licker sat there with my mouth open with one of my snooker heroes asking me what crisps and drink I want from the bar.
We sit there and he's telling us stories from the past about spats with fellow pros, people he doesn't like in the game (most of them) and we get off on our way back to Dorchester after stopping off at a bookies so he can place a bet obv. Drop him off at his hotel and dad tells him to call the club when he wants picking up. So far so good, no mishaps and he's not drunk.
Evening comes, he calls and dad picks him up. The first thing he asks for is a damp cloth to clean his cue before they start. The bar manager fetches a cloth and brings it back. Alex is none too impress and wrings the cloth out whilst poking said bar manager in the chest telling him 'that's fucking soaking not damp are you fucking stupid'. This was probably not the wisest thing to do as the bar manager was the british karate champion and all ready to plant Higgins before the event started until my old man calmed him down
Things got underway and the snooker was absolutely top drawer, he played I think a dozen different members several very handy players and nobody that I can remember got near him. I wasn't due to play him but as he was bashing everyone played a few extra games including myself. I was half pissed too as the manager and one of the members decided it would be com to feed me up with brandy through the evening. I obv got soundly beaten as did everyone else and other than a few little flare ups over little things he was incredibly well behaved and friendly with everyone.
He's not one for being crowded but even allowed everyone to get round him and take pictures etc. Afterwards he left with a known local 'pharmacist' and headed off to a party somewhere. Next day my old man gets a phone call from the hotel mid afternoon. 'Can you please come and remove Mr Higgins from his hotel room please. We've been trying to get him out since lunchtime but the door is locked'
tl,dr I know but thread just made me remember a great night growing up.
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